With school, sports, work and errands, just getting around can be a challenge. When you add in school projects, work projects, sports equipment and the occasional DIY project, everyone needs the flexibility of a minivan. The 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan provides enough versatility to accomodate whatever combination of passengers and cargo you can dream up.

At Dick Scott Motor Mall in Fowlerville, we know there’s a reason that the Grand Caravan is the most versatile vehicle in its class1, thanks to its convenient storage spaces located throughout the vehicle. You’ll appareciate the available overhead bin in the front of the vehicle, as well as a driver’s storage area for items, such as sunglasses or your phone. When heading to a Detroit Tigers or Lions game, the Super Stow ‘n Go® system provides an additional 12 cubic ft. of “out of sight” storage space when the second- and third-rows aren’t folded down. The Super Stow ‘n Go® Seating and Storage System is a class-exclusive1 feature and gives you a wide array of options when you’re loading up passengers and cargo. With both the second- and third-rows folded down into the floor, you’ll have an incredible 143 cubic ft. of space at your disposal for those weekend trips to Lowes or Home Depot. It’s also amazing how many moving boxes you can fit into the back of a Dodge Grand Caravan, however, you might not want to share that bit of information!

If you’re driving the kids and all of their friends to soccer or baseball practice, the Grand Caravan has room for seven passengers to fit comfortably. To make sure everyone can settle in when you’re on I96, the 2016 Grand Caravan has an available Three-Zone Automatic Temperature Control. It allows the driver, front passenger, and rear passengers to all set individual climates for ideal comfort. The premium cloth interior is also available with power front seats and 2-way lumbar support to help you find the optimal driving position.

When you are looking for performance, the 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan for sale in Fowlerville, MI, excels with an engine that offers both power and efficiency. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful engines in the class with the standard 3.6L Pentastar® V6 Flex-Fuel engine. It offers best-in-class1 283 horsepower and best-in-class1 260 lb.-ft. of torque. With its Flex-Fuel capability, you can use unleaded gasoline, E-852 fuel, or a mixture of the two to give you options when you’re at the fuel pump. Even with its immense power, the Grand Caravan still provides 25 MPG hwy3 to keep you away from gas stations along your daily work commute to Detroit. All in all the 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan is the perfect family vehicle that anyone and everyone can enjoy!

The current Chrysler Town & Country has been with us since the 2008 model year but a successor, the nameplate’s sixth generation, is in the works and has been spotted again, this time with the least camouflage gear we’ve seen yet. The new minivan is due on the market next year, as a 2017 model, and will make its debut at next month’s 2016 Detroit Auto Show.

Not much is known about the new Town & Country except its aforementioned arrival date, plus rumors it will offer a plug-in hybrid option. Though it’s not common for multiple powertrains to be offered in the minivan segment, it’s likely a non-hybrid option will be available as well, either a four-cylinder or V-6. The transmission is expected to be a nine-speed auto and buyers should be able to choose from front- or all-wheel-drive configurations.

As for styling, Chrysler’s 700C concept from 2012 hints at what’s to come. The new Town & Country looks to be a bit wider and more planted than the model it replaces. We can also see the new front end which has a similar design to the Chrysler 200.

Inside, look for a number of tech goodies including the popular Uconnect interface with an 8.4-inch screen in the dash. It appears that Chrysler may even add a digital screen in the instrument cluster.

This time around, the Town & Country won’t spawn a Dodge Grand Caravan twin. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] has confirmed that the Grand Caravan will be phased out as part of Dodge’s transformation into a performance brand. However, the Detroit Free Press reports that the existing Dodge Grand Caravan will continue to be sold for some years still.

Key rivals for the new Town & Country will remain the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sedona, Nissan Quest and Toyota Sienna. You can see that FCA engineers are using some of these rivals for benchmarking.

Stay tuned for the debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, which gets underway January 13. In the meantime, see what else will be appearing at the via our dedicated hub.

Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan will offer unique interior trim.

This year has seen quite a few important automotive milestones. Aston Martin celebrated its centennial, and the Porsche 911 turned 50, as did the Lotus Elan.

Even Cunningham had a milestone to celebrate, with the marque founded by Briggs Cunningham turning 60. An anniversary you might not have heard about with all the hubbub surrounding the celebrations at Pebble Beach, Lime Rock and other venues is Chrysler’s minivans turning 30.

That’s right, it’s been 30 years since Chrysler hit a home run, at the 11th hour as per usual, and launched the Town & Country minivan, liberating millions of kids from the drudgery of riding in the back of the family station wagons to and from sporting events. And now that we’ve reached a point in time when people are actually nostalgic about riding in the cargo areas of faux-wood bedecked station wagons, Chrysler is debuting a special edition Town & Country and Grand Caravan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of its Chrysler and Dodge minivans.

The Town & Country 30th Anniversary Edition will be based on the Touring-L model and will feature 17-inch wheels with polished faces, “30th Anniversary” badging and Granite Crystal paint as an option. This special edition will use the 3.6-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, making 283 hp. Interior touches will include black Alcantara seat inserts with napa seat bolsters, piano-black steering wheel bezel, and a “30th Anniversary” logo in the gauge cluster. The Convenience Group options will be standard in this model, which means it’ll have heated first- and second-row seating, power adjustable pedals and a leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, in addition to other luxury touches.

The Grand Caravan 30th Anniversary Edition will be available on the SE and SXT models, and will feature the same 3.6-liter engine as in the Town & Country. The Dodge Grand Caravan SE 30th Anniversary Edition will have 17-inch polished satin carbon-aluminum wheels, body-color heated exterior mirrors and “30th Anniversary” badging on the front fenders. On the interior, arguably where it matters most, the 30th Anniversary Dodge Grand Caravan will feature silver accent stitching and piano-black accents, black cloth seats and a black leather-wrapped steering wheel, in addition to other luxury details. The SXT trim version of the anniversary model will have all the features of the SE, but with added luxury touches like chrome window trim moldings and roof rack, fog lamps and black Torino Leatherette seats with suede inserts and silver accent stitching.

In reading all of the positive auto sales news yesterday, did you know about these nuggets?

While August marked our 41st consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, it also marked our 30th consecutive month of 100,000+ sales totals. Just as recently as 2010, we only had three months when sales topped 100,000.

While August truck/SUV sales nipped car sales growth (12% vs 11%), for the year car sales are +18% while truck/SUV sales are +6% in 2013. Five of our six car models (currently in production) have a year-to-date sales increase.

Our Belvidere, Ill., Assembly Plant is home to three of our six vehicles that set August sales records: Dodge Dart, Jeep® Compass and Jeep Patriot.

The experts are predicting fuel costs will reach $4 a gallon this summer. Don’t let this affect your vacation plans! Even if you factor in higher fuel prices, RV vacations remain the most economical. In fact, A recent study by PKF Consulting found that fuel prices would have to triple for RVing to be more expensive than other forms of travel.

A typical vacation, even with just a family of four, can become quite expensive. There are costs for transportation, lodging, food—and don’t forget the entertainment. Amusement park tickets, museum admission, historic tours, boat rentals and the like all add to vacation expenses. RV family vacations are, on average, 26 to 74 percent less expensive than travel by personal car, airline or cruise ship.

The RV combines your transportation, lodging and restaurant all in one. RVs come fully equipped with state-of-the-art kitchens, bathrooms, central air and heat, king-sized beds, entertainment systems and more, allowing you to bring all the comforts of home when you travel. Here are some tips that will help you save money on fuel while still enjoying all the fun, freedom and flexibility that RVing has to offer.

Camp closer to home. There’s no need to venture outside leave the state! There are over 1,000 campgrounds in Michigan, located near popular destinations, along major tourist routes and even in metropolitan areas. You’re always on vacation at the campsite, even if it’s only an hour drive home.
Stay longer in one place. Many RV parks are vacation destinations in their own right, offering something for everyone—swimming pools, playgrounds, game rooms, boating, fishing, nature trails, planned activities and more!
Eat in. Cook your family favorites in the convenience of an RV to avoid the high costs of eating out. Better yet, cook over your campfire!
Drive 55 instead of 65. AAA reports, for every 1 mph increase over 55 mph, fuel efficiency decreases 2.2 percent.
Adjust home thermostats to save energy when traveling.
Pack light and purchase firewood, water and other camping materials at the campground to keep the RV lightweight while traveling.
Tune up the engine of your motorhome or tow vehicle, inflate tires properly and conduct regular maintenance to maximize fuel efficiency.
Use the grade of fuel recommended by the engine manufacturer to increase miles per gallon.
Travel during off-peak times. Avoid rush hour or travel at night when the weather is cooler and the vehicle air conditioning is needed less.

Veteran RVer, Jayne Kasper travels nearly 2,000 miles in Michigan each year with husband Ted and dog Jasper. Jayne doesn’t let the cost of gas slow her down, “We stay at campgrounds closer to home. I’m on vacation the moment I step into my motor home, whether we’re 20 minutes or 2 hours from home.”

Here are some other facts to remember:

Airfares and hotel rates are rising rapidly as fuel costs increase and fuel surcharges are added. You can avoid those costs in an RV. Fuel prices would need to triple from their current level to make RVing more expensive for a family of four than other forms of travel.
Fuel is typically only the fourth largest expense on a road trip, behind lodging, food and vehicle payment and maintenance.
Save on entertainment costs by bringing along your family’s favorite DVDs and game systems.
Memories made on RV trips will last a lifetime—as will the physical and mental health benefits. With a few simple adjustments for fuel price increases, RVing remains as affordable and as fun as ever.

RVing is still one of the most cost effective ways to explore Michigan. Replace family memories of airport delays, cramped hotel rooms and expensive restaurants with those of scenic drives, comfortable, amenity-filled campgrounds, campfire cookouts and outdoor adventures. There’s so much to see and do right here in your home state! RV owners surveyed by Robert Hilton Associates cited the most important benefits of family camping are bringing the family closer together, having new experiences and teaching a respect of nature.

Sales of the mid-size SUVs are running ahead of last year’s pace through March by 44% for the Grand Cherokee and by 33% for the Durango. Chrysler’s U.S. sales have increased 39% for the first three months of 2012 from a year earlier.

All automakers will release their April sales in the U.S. on Tuesday.

The plant on Detroit’s east side, which employs about 2,900 workers on two shifts, has been working overtime on two of every three Saturdays, said Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson. The plant will be adding a third shift of about 1,100 workers next year.

Normally, the Detroit Three automakers and the UAW agreed to half production in the two weeks around July 4 because it enables the companies to balance their inventories with consumer demand and gives skilled trades workers to install new equipment needed for the upcoming model year.

Separately, Chrysler canceled the Monday morning shift at its Windsor assembly plant because of a strike by Canadian Auto Worker employees at a nearby plant that supplies instrument panels. Workers at Dakkota Integrated Systems in Lakeside rejected a contract offer late Sunday.

Tinson said workers on the second shift at Chrysler’s Windsor plant were asked to report to work. Chrysler assembled the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans at the plant.